Activities of U.S. Multinational Enterprises: 2016

Worldwide employment by U.S. multinational enterprises (MNEs) increased 0.4 percent to 42.3 million workers (preliminary) in 2016 from 42.1 million (revised) in 2015.

 

Highlights of the statistics on employment by U.S. parents in 2016:

• Employment in the United States by U.S. parents was nearly unchanged at 28.0 million workers in 2016. U.S. parents accounted for 66.3 percent of worldwide employment by U.S. MNEs, a decrease of 0.3 percentage points from 2015.
   
• U.S. parents accounted for 22.3 percent of total private industry employment in the United States.
   
• The manufacturing industry accounted for the largest share of employment by U.S. parents (26.0 percent), followed by retail trade (21.0 percent). The “Other industries” category, which includes accommodation and food services and transportation and warehousing, accounted for 22.1 percent of U.S. parent employment.

Highlights of the statistics on employment by majority‐owned foreign affiliates (MOFAs) in 2016:

• Employment abroad by MOFAs of U.S. MNEs increased 1.2 percent to 14.3 million workers and accounted for 33.7 percent of employment by U.S. MNEs worldwide.
   
• Employment abroad by MOFAs was largest in China, the United Kingdom, Mexico, India, and Canada.
   
• In China, employment by MOFAs was largest in manufacturing and accommodation and food services. In Mexico, employment was largest in manufacturing, and in India it was largest in professional, scientific, and technical services. Employment by MOFAs in the United Kingdom and Canada was spread across many industries.
   
• Manufacturing employment in the European Union totaled 1.7 million workers, more than the combined total of China and Mexico (1.5 million).

Other highlights of the statistics on the activities of U.S. multinational enterprises in 2016:

• Worldwide current‐dollar value added of U.S. MNEs decreased 1.5 percent to $5.2 trillion. Value added by U.S. parents was nearly unchanged at $3.9 trillion, representing 24.2 percent of total U.S. private industry value added. MOFA value added decreased to $1.3 trillion.
   
• Worldwide expenditures for property, plant, and equipment of U.S. MNEs decreased 7.6 percent to $856.9 billion.
   
• Worldwide research and development expenditures of U.S. MNEs increased 4.9 percent to $350.3 billion.

For more information, read the full report.